Military
Because there are no real wars in or outside of Gunnedin, the military acts more as a symbol for Gunnedin's victory as a society against the plague and other societies. The military also acts as a police force within Gunnedin. It is usually younger proles who enlist in the military due to coercion or desperation to earn a living. Purpose of the military The military is really just to sell the illusion of a war against the Plague and other settlements. Most settlements outside Gunnedin are at peace and wish to welcome the state to a truce. Having a military also prevents disobedience in the citizens in that they either become part of the military to serve the state or they are subjugated to its power. The military police in particular are a force that keeps the other citizens in check. The military is also a form of social culling. Generally, the lower income prole population (which is a large portion of proles) who are desperate to earn money are coerced into enlisting. Thus they have a higher chance of dying in service. If there is no war or plague anymore, how are the soldiers still dying? Because Gunnedin is slowly running out of resources even though it boasts that its production rates are always rising, other settlements must be invaded for resources. The naive junior troops are always dispatched under the assumption that Gunnedin is at war with the settlement that they are invading without any questions asked. As for those on plague elimination duty, none of the younger Gunnedines know what the plagued look like. These troops are generally made up of these younger proles and they are sent out into the tundra to hunt down escaped Gunnedines. They tend to look extremely dishevelled and are super disoriented. They are usually unable to defend themselves and match the description of what a plagued human looks like according to commanding officers. It is very common that these young troops die on the job because of the harsh conditions of No Man's Land that they will be intentionally wildly unprepared for in their training. Sometimes troops will go missing but will be declared dead. Sometimes troops are intentionally sent out to be lost as a way of social culling and to fuel news stories. It is often the case with troops that end up being "adopted" by other settlements who know that Gunnedin sent these children to attack their settlements. Most of these soldiers will already be too brainwashed by Gunnedine propaganda to want to integrate into the societies of other settlements. Some of whom will attempt to kill themselves and will be regarded as heroes back at home. News then gets back to Gunnedin that these settlements are bloodthirsty savages and reinforces Gunnedine pro-military propaganda. Other times, settlements will fight back against Gunnedine troops in self defence. Recruitment Young lower income Gunnedines are usually targeted (read: coerced) into joining the military. It promises that the recruits will be well taken care of and will be of good use to the state. The media broadcasts modified zombie films from the 1980s to the 2010s a lot on TVs which sells the illusion that by joining the military and killing the plagued, the young soldiers will become heroes. War films are incredibly common recruitment propaganda too except they are carefully handpicked and edited to portray the military in a just manner. Military police People employed in the military can also function as the city's defence force. They may not be able to leave the Gunnedin Walls but they are more likely to stay alive because they drastically overpower the civilians. The military police are tasked to patrol the city during day and night to prevent anything that is considered crime. Any treasonous criminals are removed quietly to prevent the existence of martyrs that may inspire a revolution. Petty criminals are punished in a publicly humiliating manner that is mass televised. Some more severe punishments include public beheadings and firing squads. At night, military police maintain curfew in the city centre and residential area. Black Feather and thieves are able to carry out their operations at night and avoid detection by taking to the rooftops and using unconventional routes throughout Gunnedin. Military police have become corrupt over time as they are intentionally neglected by NGLUS' control and often exert their power over poorer proles for fun. They also practice social culling by targeting proles in low income areas by either killing them or by getting them arrested with traps such as planting contraband on them. Ex-military Ex-military on a whole are lauded for being the heroes who fight the plagued and other settlements allegedly looking to invade Gunnedin. But on an individual level, ex-military personnel are often discriminated against for no longer serving the military even if they are no longer fit to serve. They are especially discriminated against in workplaces where they are turned down for a job in case they wish to go back to the military. Ex-military are not so widely accepted by thieves because they used to stand for something they hate. Some thieves do accept that these people have changed but sometimes they are persuaded by other thieves through tales of betrayal. In any case, ex-military do not fit in with quiet prole life either because of their inability to find work and crippling PTSD and other health problems. Some very lucky ex-military do become politicians under DEMUS but they are very rapidly picked off. They do not have a community of their own like thieves do because when they retire from the military they are often scattered all over Gunnedin. Retirement from the military is rare anyways because soldiers very often die in service. Notable members of the military * Uri Adler * Jackdaw (formerly) Category:People